Moving Forward
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Someone from the past risks the Megaforce Rangers future.
1. The Scene of the Crime

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made._

Tiger paced nervously behind the Silver Guardian's HQ front desk. Though she didn't know how to tell time, it was getting late. Jordan and Gia had stepped out for a job that morning that was only supposed to take about and hour and hadn't been seen or heard from since. Tiger had a feeling there was something wrong and she knew Emma felt it to. As she was finishing off her shift for the day, ready to pass it on to the evening employee, she kept checking her phone, as though she was expecting a call.

"What do you think?" Emma asked the big cat as she picked up the kids from their play pen and set them in their stroller. "Should we head down to the scene?"

Tiger nodded. Emma pushed the stroller out to the car and then strapped the kids into their car seats. Once they were safely buckled in, she drove off, heading down to where she has sent Jordan and Gia hours before. Tiger sat in the passenger seat and looked out the window worriedly.

The call was only supposed to have been a domestic dispute. A woman phoned in saying her drunken ex-husband wouldn't leave her porch step. Emma understood these matters could escalate quickly and without warning, but trusted her fiancé and best friend could handle themselves. Certainly, by now, she should have heard something either way. Either Jordan and Gia saying they were going to investigate another matter, or calling in for back up from other officers.

Neither had happened. So Emma knew it was best to check out the scene for herself. She kept her morpher in the glove compartment of her car. She grabbed it as she reached the scene and hopped out. She left Tiger inside, knowing that if something had happened, someone needed to watch the kids. But she did roll down the window slightly.

"I'm not out in ten," Emma said and left her phone behind with a timer going for the cat. "You come in after me, attack mode, got it?"

Tiger nodded. Emma dropped the phone in the passenger seat and made her way inside. If needed, Tiger could break through the partially opened window and come running in. Usually, once the cat was involved, suspects gave in pretty quickly. With Tiger as back up and her morpher in her hand, Emma knew she should be okay.

The front door was closed, so Emma knocked. She hoped to get a friendly response from the owner, telling her the matter had been settled and Jordan and Gia had moved on. Instead, no one came to the door, but when Emma knocked, it opened slightly.

"Hello?" Emma called inside the house and again got no response, but now that the door was open she could step inside. "I work for the Silver Guardians. Just doing a follow up on the call we got this morning. Is anyone home?"

As Emma looked around she noticed signs of a fight. A violent one, in fact. Chairs were knocked over, tables were turned, knives were missing from the block on the counter and there was glass shattered on the floor of the kitchen. If this had been the scene Gia and Jordan walked into, it was no wonder it had taken longer than expected to handle the call.

"Silver Guardian," Emma called out as she continued to investigate the home. "Is there anyone here?"

When she was sure the main floor was clear, Emma made her way upstairs. The fight looked like it had travelled there as well. Pictures were knocked off the wall and lay on the stairs. In the hallway, a table had been broken in two and a flower vase was on the other side of the room, shattered. But Emma quickly noticed it looked like a big piece was missing. When she stepped into the main bathroom she found it. The shard from the broken vase lay next to the sink, where it seemed someone had tried to clean off some blood. Emma thought to call an ambulance, but still couldn't confirm if there was someone in the house to treat. Still, at least she was beginning to understand why Jordan and Gia had been gone for so long on this call. It didn't ease her worries but it did provide her with some answers.

Though Emma now had new questions. She continued her investigation, leaving the bloody bathroom in favour of the first of two bedrooms. Emma opened the door carefully to have a look inside. It seemed like the fight had progressed through here. The bed was messy, the pillows had been thrown around the room and the drawers of the dresser had been drawn. One was in the closet, where the door had come off its hinges. There was no blood in here, to Emma's relief, but as she stepped out, she found something worse. Her foot kicked a gun, causing her to jump when she realized what it was. She was grateful she hadn't accidentally shot it off. Emma cleared the gun. She didn't want it used against her in case there was still someone in the house. When she was sure the gun was free of bullets, she placed it in her back pocket and moved onto the next room.

What was upsetting about the gun was that it belonged to Gia and Jordan. Emma recognized the weapon immediately and she knew what it meant. They had felt threatened enough to pull it out.

Emma slowly opened the door to the master bedroom and had a quick look around. A fight had certainly taken place here. There were no blankets in the bed. In fact, the comforter had been torn up and dumped on the floor. There were holes in the pillows from what looked like the missing knives from the kitchen. In fact, as Emma approached the foot of the bed, she found a couple of knives had been left on the floor. They were clean, but as Emma walked into the bathroom she found the rest of the knives by the sink. Some had water stains. They had been washed. The rest were still covered in blood. Emma felt her stomach turn.

Suddenly, she heard a loud roar. The time on her phone must have gone off as Tiger raced into the house. She quickly found Emma upstairs and stood next to her protectively.

"Nothing to worry about yet," Emma assured her. "All clear outside?"

Tiger seemed to nod, but her eyes were focused on the shower. The curtain was pulled, and probably the only thing that seemed still intact in the entire house. Hesitantly, Emma drew the curtain back and gasped when she saw a woman sitting in the tub. Tiger growled loudly, causing the woman to scream. Emma grabbed the cat's vest, pulled her back and commanded she guard the door.

"Silver Guardian," Emma explained to the woman. "Were you the one who made the call this morning?"

"He... he made me," the woman nodded. "I didn't mean for any of this, I swear."

"Did the Silver Guardians show up?" Emma asked. The woman quickly nodded.

"If I knew it would come to this, I never would have made the call," she said. "I swear, I had nothing to do with this. I just... I thought... oh god, is he dead?"

"There's no one else here," Emma shook her head. "I don't know who..."

"The officer. The male," the woman said.

"Jordan?" Emma asked. The woman shook her head.

"I don't know. I just... Davey, he... he pulled out a knife and... He was drunk. I mean, he is a drunk. I mean... he didn't mean for this to happen. He just... he gets a little pushy after a few drinks."

"Where is Davey?"

"He... I don't know," the woman stammered. "He pulled out the knife and went right for the officers. I tried to stop him but he said he would handle this. He told me to come up here."

"What happened with the officers?" Emma asked. "Do you know where they went after this?"

"I heard the fight downstairs," the woman said. "I heard it coming up here. There was screaming and shouting and things breaking and... I didn't mean for this to happen. He said no one would get hurt."

"Who got hurt?"

"I don't... the male officer," the woman said. "When the fighting stopped, I... I had a look around. Davey and the girl... they were gone, but the..."

"The girl, you mean the female officer?"

"Yeah. I don't know where they went," the woman said. "I looked... that's when I found him. The male... He was like that when I found him, I swear! I didn't kill him! I never would?"

"Kill?"

"I didn't know what to do," the woman said, then pointed outside the bathroom to the closet on the other side of the bedroom. "I tried to cover it up. I... I wasn't thinking. But Davey... he couldn't have done this, right?"

"Davey was drunk?"

"Yeah, but he's not a... those cops, they let things get out of control. I mean... he charged Davey first! That's a thing, right? Corrupted cops? He said they were no good..."

"Where is the male officer? Jordan?" Emma asked. The woman pointed to the closet again and Emma sent Tiger over to check as she helped the woman out of the tub.

"You covered up a crime scene?"

"I... just the weapons," the woman said and pointed to the knives by the sink. "Just until Davey came back. I figured he could explain this."

"Did you lure my partners here?" Emma asked.

"Davey said it wouldn't get like this. He promised he had everything under control," the woman insisted. Emma wanted to press for more information, but stopped when she heard a whimper from Tiger. She turned to the bedroom, saw the cat had managed to get the closet door open and wanted to see for herself what was inside. She was barely halfway across when Tiger ran up to her and blocked her getting any closer.

"What? Tiger, move."

Tiger shook her head and stayed in Emma's way.

"Get out of the way. Tiger, is there's something to see I have to get a look!"

Tiger seemed to hesitantly step aside, but kept close to Emma as she approached the closet. Suddenly, Emma gasped.

"Jordan!"

"He's dead," the woman said as she stepped out of the bathroom. "I... I checked for a pulse. I didn't mean for him to die..."

"And you stuffed him into the closet?"

"He landed there. I just... I closed the door!"

"You murderer!" Emma shouted and lunged for the woman. She was stopped only by Tiger, who stepped in her way again and blocked her getting any closer. Emma tried to fight the cat, but Tiger easily won out, then redirected Emma's attention to Jordan. Emma's eyes started to water.

"He's dead. There's nothing..."

Tiger shook her head the bit on the bottom of Jordan's pant leg and pulled him out. Emma gasped when she heard a very faint, but very real groan from her fiancé.

"Jordan!" she dropped by his side and cradled his face gently in her hands before she looked up at the woman, "Don't just stand there! Call 9-1-1!"

"But... but..."

Tiger roared loudly. The woman jumped with a scream before doing as she was told.


	2. David Foreman

"Davey and I have been on and off for the last couple of years," the woman from the tub, Stacey, explained to the police as she sat in the interrogation room of the Silver Guardian's HQ. After the paramedics had arrived to her home and rushed Jordan to the hospital for surgery, she had been placed under arrest.

On the other side of the wall, Emma was watching the interrogation, listening to everything Stacey had to say about what had happened. She didn't want to leave Jordan's side, but he would be in surgery for hours as doctors tried saving his life. Until she could be with him, she knew she had to spend her time figuring out what had happened to him. Whomever hurt him needed to pay dearly.

"He's a bit of a drunk," Stacey admitted. "And he's got a temper, but he's sweet at heart."

"A man who has a temper and drinks, yet is sweet at heart?" the officer inside the room asked Stacey. "I've been on the job long enough to know those traits don't mix."

"His best friend died just a couple years or so back. Davey says he hasn't been the same since."

"Did you know him then?"

"We met shortly after. But we went to school together so I kind of had an idea what he was like. I just figured the drinking and the temper was part of the grieving process, you know."

"So what happened today? You called about a domestic dispute?"

"Davey said he knew who killed his best friend and he wanted to make things right. He made me call the police to get them down here. He said to contact the Silver Guardians. That the killer works there."

"Is this her?" the officer placed a picture of Gia down on the table. Stacey shrugged.

"She's the one who showed up. Davey seemed not to like her right off the bat. But I couldn't tell you if she's the one he wanted to see. I don't know who she is."

"Do you know his best friend?"

"He played football. He hung out with the guys on the team. Any of them could be the best friend. Like I said, I didn't really know him until after his best friend die."

"Do you have the names of the guys on the football team?"

Stacey shook her head. "No. I don't remember them off the top of my head. But Davey, he's got a yearbook. The football team is in there. His best friend is bound to be one of them."

The officer nodded then got up. When he stepped outside, Emma frowned.

"That's it?" she asked. "You're not going to ask her anything else? Like why she didn't call for help as soon as she saw Jordan just lying there?"

"She thought he was dead."

"She still should have called someone!"

"We're going to get there."

"After she's had enough time to come up with a cover up. I told you..."

"We have a missing person, Miss Goodall," the officer said. "Right now, finding her is our priority. I'm sorry, but questions about why help wasn't called for right away are going to have to wait."

Emma clenched her fists as the officer walked off, likely to search Stacey's home for the yearbook she claimed had the identity of her partner's best friend. Emma knew he had a point as she glared him down. Jordan was safe, and though he wasn't in a good way, he had managed to get help eventually. Meanwhile, Gia was yet to be found. Pressing Stacey for questions about why she didn't call for help sooner, regardless of her belief that Jordan was dead, wouldn't help Jordan get better, nor would it help the police locate Gia any faster.

But finding out the identity of the best friend could. If there was a connection to Gia, it might be easier to track her down. If there wasn't, and Davey had received the wrong employee of the Silver Guardians, there could be someone else in danger. Right now, that needed to take priority.

But that didn't mean Emma couldn't press for answers on her own. She walked inside the interrogation room, where Stacey was being told by another officer what would happen to her next. Emma dismissed the officer and sat down across from Stacey.

"Did Davey mention by name who he was after?"

"He just kept calling her a bitch," Stacey said.

"And Davey... does he have a last name?"

"I... I never... asked."

"You're his girlfriend."

"It's more sex than anything," Stacey admitted. "We don't really do the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing. He calls me up when he's horny and we do it."

Emma frowned. "So you're his booty call?"

"It's a little more than that. He spends the night."

"When he's drunk and can't get home?"

"Davey's a lost soul. I'm just helping him out. I hoped eventually he would come around again, but he hasn't. It's not like I'm a whore."

"You just sleep with men."

"A man. I don't do this for just anyone."

"Just murderers?"

"Things escalated. Your cop friends are just as guilty here. I saw them when they came into the house. They seemed just as peeved to see him and the guy just rushed at Davey without warning!"

"My fiancé is in the hospital. He could have already been dead because of you. And my best friend is still out there with this drunken, angry, soft-hearted bastard booty call of yours! If you really didn't mean for any of this to happen, you're going to give me a last name or something I can use to find him!"

"I don't know his last name! Fogelman or Ferguson or Foreman or... something like that."

"Foreman?" Emma frowned. "Davey Foreman?"

"I haven't seen his football jersey in years. He hasn't taken it out since his best friend died. But from what I can remember of seeing it through high school."

"David Foreman?"

"That's probably right," Stacey nodded. "He played for Harwood County High. That's where I first met him. And while everyone was swooning over the quarterback, I kind of had a crush on him."

"David Foreman? From Harwood County High School?"

"I guess so, yeah."

"Does the name Cliff Morris ring a bell?"

"Actually, yeah," Stacey nodded her head. "He was the quarterback, wasn't he? He might be... hey, where are you going?"

Emma darted out of the interrogation room and raced out to her car. She started it quickly and drove straight home, ignoring the speed limit. When she made it home, she rushed up to Jake and Gia's door instead of her own. Jake was inside, looking after the kids because Emma had promised him she would handle the mess until her mothers could pick them up. Jake answered the door, Tiger right behind him keeping a watchful eye on everything that happened.

"Cliff," Emma said. Jake frowned.

"He's dead. We made sure of it."

"He's dead, but David's not."

"Who is... his best friend?" Jake pointed to head, where below his skull a chip was attached to his brain. "As in one of the assholes who beat me up?"

"As in the guy who liked to torture Gia when Cliff wasn't around," Emma nodded her head. The one who is just as sick and just as twisted as Cliff."

"You think he did this?" Jake asked.

"Stacey said her boyfriend had a grudge against a woman in the Silver Guardians because he thinks she's responsible for his best friend's death. They played football together at Harwood County High and now David's pissed because he believes Gia's the reason Cliff died..."

"Cliff is responsible for Cliff."

"David doesn't think like that. Gia was supposed to be Cliff's... bitch. She was supposed to stay by his side and do what he asked no matter what. Gia put a stop to that."

"Now David's pissed? Well, if he's even half as bad as Cliff... What's that look?"

"Worse," Emma whispered. "David was a bad influence on Cliff. When they were alone with Gia... She's just... she's told me horror stories, alright?"

"We'll drop the kids off with my parents, then," Jake said and as he let Emma into the house. "Then we'll start looking for David and Gia."


	3. The Investigation

Knowing who had her best friend didn't make the search any easier. David had used his girlfriend's home for the kidnapping, so it wasn't like Emma knew where to look for him now. He could have been anywhere in the city – or he could have left town. That was Emma's worst nightmare.

But they started with the obvious. Jake and Emma asked Stacey where David lived. Fortunately, Stacey knew and provided them with an address. The two took Tiger along. Emma had a feeling it was the right call as she walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

"I think we'd need a warrant to go inside," Jake said when no one answered and after Emma tried the door, only to find it locked. "We could get one."

"Too long," Emma shook her head.

"If we find anything..."

"Do you want to get Gia out of trouble or not?" Emma asked. She walked off the front porch and walked around the side of the house. Jake looked down to Tiger, saw even the cat wasn't sure what would happen next and then followed Emma. As he arrived at the side of the house, he saw Emma toss a large stone through the window. When she spotted him, she shrugged.

"I thought I heard something," she said, then crawled in through the window. Jake sighed before he followed her in. Once inside, he helped Tiger get up through the window. Once that was done, the three had a look at the kitchen.

Emma was mortified by what she saw. David's house looked just like his girlfriend's – indicating a fight had taken place. It seemed very likely that he had brought Gia here, even for a short time. Emma was happy to know she was on the right trail, but it sickened her to see she was too late either by just moments or several hours. She couldn't be sure.

"Knives are missing," she said to Jake and Tiger as she pointed out the empty block on the counter. Then she reached into her bag and pulled out her camera, glad she always had it on her. She took a picture of the room before moving on.

The living room, like the kitchen, had furniture turned over or smashed. A figurine lay in pieces on the floor, artwork had fallen from the walls. One was even unfortunate enough to have seen the pointed end of one of the missing knives. Just under where the picture had fallen, Emma saw blood drops. Just a few – not enough to lead her to think anyone had died. But it confirmed the fight had gotten very violent. Someone was hurt.

Emma looked from the blood over to Tiger. The cat had seen a few domestic fights in her career and knew how to handle herself. Emma often read over the reports Jordan and Gia submitted, just to ease her mind that everything went well. She knew Tiger could keep her calm. However, this time, Tiger was a mess. She was moving around the room anxiously, like she wasn't sure what to check out first. And she was whining incessantly. Emma knew that was a bad sign. She took a picture of the blood and the broken picture and then walked over to Tiger.

"She was here, wasn't she?" she asked the cat. Tiger looked up worriedly. Emma stroked her head before moving on. Tiger stayed by her side as she climbed the stairs. Jake was only a few steps behind.

"It's good if we don't find them, right?" Jake asked Emma. "That means they got away. They're both still alive?"

"Hopefully," Emma muttered. Just like with Stacey's house, she checked the first bedroom at the top of the stairs. It was clean – untouched. Emma gulped and stepped out, moving her search to the main bathroom. It was also clean.

"Maybe the fight didn't get this far," Jake suggested nervously. Emma shook her head and walked to the master bedroom.

When she opened the door, her heart sank as far as it could go. The bed was a mess and the bare mattress was covered in stains of blood. Gia's jacket had been tossed on the floor. When Jake picked it up to hold, Emma noticed a hole in the sleeve and Tiger let them know she smelled blood. Judging by the way the cat was starting to freak out, it had to be Gia's blood. Emma had to pull the cat over to the bed to get her to check it out. Tiger didn't want to give it a look or a sniff and whimpered loudly in protest. Emma figured it was because she had already figured out the blood and the scent belonged to Gia.

Jake, meanwhile, remembered Emma telling him Jordan had been stuffed in a closet when she found him. It had been Stacey's doing. She admitted to it. But Jake couldn't let a single corner go unsearched. He opened the closet door.

He gasped. There was no body inside, but instead he saw a chart, plotting an attack on Gia. Seeing David's intentions, Jake felt like he was going to be sick. He held his stomach and stepped back as he called Emma over to take a picture.

As Emma snapped the picture, she felt her phone ring. She was quick to answer it. She had left David's name with the rest of the team at the Silver Guardians and asked them to have a look around the city. If he had used a credit card under his name, or checked into a hotel or anything, she wanted to know.

"Miss Goodall," the person on the other end spoke, "We've got something. A David Foreman visited the Angel Grove Hospital just about an hour ago."

"Was he with Gia?"

"He came in alone. Broken nose and concussion. They've admitted him for observation."

Emma thanked her co-worker and then hung up. She looked to Jake and Tiger. The house was empty and she had her evidence that a fight had taken place there. Her search was over and it was time to head to the hospital.

-Megaforce-

The ride back to the hospital was long, but Emma, Jake, and Tiger finally made it. They spoke to the front desk. Emma told them she worked for the Silver Guardians and flashed the employee badge. It seemed to be enough for the nurse to lead them up to David's room.

"He said there was no one who could monitor him," the nurse explained. "So we admitted him. We tried to get the full story of what happened, but he wouldn't say much. Probably just a bar fight, I figured. But there was no alcohol in his system. He was entirely sober. I figure that meant there was a lot more to the story than he let on."

The nurse pointed out David's room and then left Emma, Jake, and Tiger to their business.

"I'll watch the door," Jake said before they went in. Emma frowned.

"I figured you'd want to come inside."

Jake shook his head, "I go in there, knowing what he's done, and I'm going to do something I regret," he told Emma. "Go in there, get the answers you need. I trust you'll get it right."

Emma nodded her head, gave Jake a comforting squeeze on the shoulder before she walked in. She saw David, laying in his bed, flicking through the channels on the TV. When he noticed Emma, he turned the TV off and sat up.

"Well, well, well..."

Tiger roared, announcing her presence. David jumped and almost knocked himself out of bed.

"A fucking tiger?"

"A cop," Emma said. "She's the real Guardian here. I'm her handler, really. And she wants you to talk."

"I don't got a lot to say," David shrugged then pointed to his nose, "Except that you can arrest the bitch who did this."

"You mean Gia."

"I mean the bitch broke my nose. That's assault!"

"Tell us where she is, we'll gladly pick her up," Emma said. David smirked.

"That's what you want, isn't it?"

"You want her tried for assault, we've got to have her in custody," Emma nodded. "So just tell us where you last saw her, we'll get her, and we'll get this mess figured out."

"I take it you know what happened to Cliff," David said. "Broke out of prison then suddenly dead."

"Cliff's death was his own doing," Emma shook her head. "Gia was..."

"She put him in prison. I'll bet you my life when she heard he got out she took care of him herself!"

Tiger roared loudly again and jumped up on David's bed. He screamed and sunk into his pillow, putting as much distance as he could between him and the cat's mouth.

"Get him off!"

"Tiger's a girl, and if you want her to move, you're going to answer her questions," Emma said. "Where is Gia? What did you do to her?"

"She broke my nose! She had my best friend killed! Why am I being interrogated here?"

"Gia and her partner answered a domestic call made by your girlfriend," Emma said. "They never came home. Now he's in ICU and she's nowhere to be found. Excuse me if I don't care about your little broken nose."

"Then get my girlfriend in for an interrogation..."

"She placed you at the scene. Says you did all the heavy lifting."

Tiger leaned in closer to David, breathing in his face so he was trembling. By now he was desperate to have the cat removed from his bed.

"What did you do to Gia?" Emma asked. David gulped.

"She got what was coming to her, alright?"

"What did you do?"

"She... she had it coming! I didn't do anything to her she didn't do to Cliff!"

"Where is she?"

"I... I dumped her, okay?" David said and winced as Tiger bared her teeth. "By the alley, down the block from where I live. You... you'll find her there, I swear! But before you try to pin anything on me, you need to know... she fought me too! I can claim self defense on this, right?"

Emma rushed to the door, opening it to let the cat out and then grabbed Jake as she raced down the hallway.

"What did he say?" Jake asked as he was being pulled along.

"I think he killed her!"


	4. Leads and Dead Ends

David's directions to Gia's location weren't specific, but there weren't many places near his home where a body could be subtlety dumped. Only one alley was just about a block away from his home and far enough from the main roads that no one would think to look there for a while. Just in case, Emma and Jake brought Tiger along. She would be able to pick up on Gia's scent. She could tell if her mistress had been there – dead or alive.

And Tiger seemed to indicate just that. She was sniffing around, especially by the old dumpster, expecting to find Gia somewhere, but to no avail. She jumped up on the rim of the dirty bin and looked inside. That was when she started to whine. Jake made his way over, pulled her down and then tried to sooth her while Emma looked inside.

Garbage that had been sitting there for what smelled and looked like weeks was piled up inside. This wasn't unusual. A little filthy, but Emma wasn't concerned about that. What bothered her was the bed sheet laying across the top, splattered in blood. She snapped a picture, then turned away. Her eyes started to water.

"I guess even scumbags don't lie when they're inches away from a tiger's mouth," Jake pointed out. "It can't be a coincidence that we find a bloody bed sheet exactly where David said she would be. But... maybe it's not her blood."

"David didn't look injured," Emma shook her head. "And I doubt a nose bleeds this much."

"What about Jordan? If he was stabbed, then..."

"He was stabbed at the girlfriend's," Emma said. "I found him there. Unless David brought the sheets and Gia home with him..."

"Fine, I'll believe it's a bloody nose that did this," Jake said. Tiger looked up to him. He sighed. "Don't ruin this for me, cat. I need to believe she's okay."

"She's not around here," Emma took a quiet walk around the alley, then shrugged her shoulders. "Either David did lie, or Gia got away herself."

Jake nodded and grabbed his phone. He called the nearest hospital, hoping they would be able to tell him Gia had brought herself in. When he got through, he was sad to hear no one had seen her.

"Maybe... maybe she collapsed on the street or something," Jake suggested to Emma. "And they haven't identified her yet. I'll call back, asking if there's a Jane Doe?"

"Her uniform has a badge."

"I doubt she's still in uniform. I'm making the call," Jake said and called the nearest hospital again as he walked back to the car. He turned while he was on hold to see if Emma or Tiger were following. Tiger was looking between the two of them while Emma was still standing by the dumpster. Jake lowered his phone for just a moment to look to her.

"Come on. We've got to try this, Em. If she's not here, she must have made it somewhere safe."

"I... I don't think she's made it to the hospital," Emma shook her head. "You check. By all means, prove me wrong, but I'm going to..."

"Stay here?" Jake asked. "What are you going to find? Even Tiger doesn't know where to go to next. Our best lead is the hospitals. If anyone's seen her..."

"Our best lead is right here," Emma pointed around the alley. "If she got up, we need to see where she went."

"She'd go to the hospital."

"I just... I don't think so," Emma shook her head. "But prove me wrong, Jake. And check on Jordan for me while you're there."

"Whatever," Jake put his phone back to his ear, heard someone speaking to him on the other end and asked her to repeat herself. When he heard there was one unidentified female patient he knew he had to make it to the hospital. He called for Tiger to follow, but the cat didn't know where to go. She wanted to go with Jake but she also wanted to help track down her mistress in case she was still somewhere in the city.

"Fine," Jake shrugged. "Just...stay with Emma, alright," the hospital was a little cautious about letting the cat in, even when she was on duty. Jake figured, if Tiger was willing to continue searching, she was better off in the city. He got back into the car and drove off. Emma, meanwhile, continued to search the alley. If Gia had gotten up and away on her own, there had to be a sign.

Finally, she saw it. The back of the alley was blocked off by a fence. Behind it was a forest. The fence had been put up to discourage the wildlife from coming into the city, especially with the dumpster so close. But animals were sneaky. Over time, the smaller critters who couldn't climb had carved out a hole in the wood, allowing them access. Then, bigger animals started to use the hole, chipping away at the sides so they could fit through. Now, it was easily big enough for a person to slip through.

"Tiger," Emma called the big cat over and pointed to the hole. "Anything?"

Tiger gave a little nod so Emma crawled through. Unfortunately, the big cat couldn't fit with her vest. Emma had to reach through the hole, unbuckled the vest from around the cat and then slid it through before Tiger could squeeze herself in.

Once beyond the fence, Tiger seemed to pick up on Gia's scent again. She seemed a little confused about where to go, but Emma was now confident her best friend had passed this way. However, Emma knew these woods and the deeper they would go, the further it would take them away from the city. If Gia had come this way and hadn't turned back, it was unlikely she had found help.

"Please tell me you can track her," Emma begged the cat. Tiger didn't seem certain. There were a lot of conflicting smells, and Gia's was one of the weakest of them all, but she wasn't about to give up yet. "Alright," Emma answered. "I guess it's worth a shot."

-Megaforce-

Jake got to the hospital, hoping for the best, but instead receiving the worst news. He saw the Jane Doe and unfortunately she looked nothing like Gia. To make matters worse, the hospital told them she had been admitted long before Gia had ever gone missing. Jake felt poorly for the woman, but he couldn't help be angry with her for getting his hopes up.

He shook his head as he walked through the halls. He figured, at the very least, he would check up on Jordan for Emma. Maybe there would be some good news there. He walked into his friend's room, seeing a doctor standing by the bed.

"How is he?" Jake asked.

"Vitals are stable," the doctor told him.

"So what does that mean?"

"We're optimistic..."

"Don't give me the optimistic bullshit," Jake shook his head. "Is he or is he not going to be okay."

"He should be okay."

"What about complications? Infections, something you guys overlooked..."

"I assure you, we're taking excellent care of your friend," the doctor said, then moved towards the door. "I've got to finish up my rounds. You can stay with him if you'd like. I'm sure he'd appreciate that."

Jake rolled his eyes at the doctor as he walked out. He then pulled up a chair and sat next to Jordan's bed. He rested his arms on the bed, dropped his head in his hands and sighed.

"He said I was stabbed," Jordan whispered, scaring Jake and causing him to jump to his feet. Jake put his hand over his heart and breathed loudly.

"What the hell?"

"Sorry. I'm a little in and out of it," Jordan said. "Must be whatever they've given me for the pain. Was I really stabbed?"

"Do you remember what happened?" Jake asked. Jordan shook his head.

"Last I remember, Gia and I were going on a domestic call. Where... is she okay?"

"Does the name David ring a bell?" Jake asked. "Do you remember a man?"

"A man and a woman," Jordan nodded. "She complained he wouldn't leave her property. But when we arrived, he was... I think I remember he was inside the house. She let us in."

"Do you remember what happened after that?"

Jordan shook his head. "Where is Gia?"

"That's the big question," Jake said. "Jordan, I need you to think. We need to know what happened."

"I... I was stabbed," Jordan said, then looked down at his chest. He couldn't see the wounds due to his dressings, but he saw the bruises and cuts along his arms and gasped. "Shit... I was stabbed!"

"I know," Jake nodded his head. "But Jordan, I..."

"Where is Gia? Where the hell is my partner?" Jordan shouted and then he tried to get up. Jake grabbed him by the shoulders and had to hold him down. "What happened to her? Why isn't she here?"

"Jordan, calm down. We're on it, okay?"

"Where is she?"

"I don't know," Jake sighed. "But Emma, she's out there looking for her, alright? We're going to find her and we're going to figure out what happened. Can you remember anything else?"

Jordan shook his head, "I... I don't remember what happened. It's all a blur, Jake. I... You mean Gia's not here? What about Emma? Joe?"

"Joe and Ciara are with their grandmothers," Jake assured him. "And Emma's fine. She's in the city, looking for Gia. Everything's going to be fine," Jake promised him and pulled up the blankets, hoping Jordan would start to relax and rest again. "You just work on feeling better, again."


	5. Dusk to Dawn

It was getting late. The sun was only beginning to set, but because the forest was so thick with trees, it was already pretty dark. Emma found herself relying more and more on Tiger to find her way back to the city. Unfortunately, the big cat had lost Gia's scent a while back, forcing them to turn around and head home. Both were disappointed, but given the trail didn't end with a dead body, there was still some hope Gia was alive.

When they finally got back home, it was dark. Emma stopped by the hospital to check up on Jordan. When Jake wasn't there, she figured the green Ranger had headed home. She got no call or text from him that he wanted to continue the search, so she imagine him calling it a night and getting some rest. She walked Tiger up to her the and let herself in. Jake was in his place with both the kids. He seemed hopeful when he saw Emma and Tiger coming in, but Emma shook her head.

"Dead end," she whispered. "No sign of her anywhere."

Jake sighed, "Could be good, right? She's still getting around."

"I hope," Emma nodded. She sat down on the couch. Jake gave Ciara her bottle, then let her and Joe play on the blanket on the floor while he sat next to Emma.

"I saw Jordan. He was awake for a bit. Didn't remember much that could help us."

"He was out when I saw him..."

"He wasn't up for long," Jake shook his head.

"Maybe... if he's coming too... maybe I should stay with him tomorrow," Emma whispered. Jake frowned.

"We're not looking for Gia again?"

"If Jordan's awake, I should be there," Emma said. "He's my fiancé. I'd want him..."

"Your best friend is missing," Jake frowned. "I think he'll understand..."

"Jake, I looked everywhere for her today. Tiger found her scent out in the woods, but lost it. If she's hurt, scared and out there..."

"Don't say it..."

"If she was alive in the alley and able to walk around, then she choose to head to the woods instead of towards the street, where she could have gotten help. Jake, if she's hurt, she might not be thinking straight, and a night out in the forest in her condition will probably..."

"Don't say it!" Jake shouted again, startling the kids as they stopped playing.

"I'm just saying, we get the other guys at the Silver Guardians to look into this. If we're only going to find her dead, I'd rather be by Jordan's bedside..."

"Get out," Jake growled as he got to his feet and pointed to the door. "Get out of my house! Now!"

"Jake, I don't mean..."

"Get out now!" Jake said as he picked Joe up on the floor and put him in Emma's arms. "Take your son, your morbid thoughts and get the fuck out!"

"But..."

"Go!" Jake shouted and shoved Emma towards the door. She sighed, looking back once more before leaving. If Jake was worked up, it was probably best not to stay. She walked over to her door, let herself into her house and brought Joe up to his room.

"Uncle Jake's just... scared," she explained to her son, who seemed shaken by the scene. She changed Joe and tried to keep her tone upbeat, despite the tears in her eyes. "It's been a rough day, you know. These things happen in daddy and Aunt Gia's line of work. That's why mommy's always insistent they be careful."

Emma lay Joe down in his crib, "But we're going to figure this out. So don't you worry."

She stayed with her son until he fell asleep then walked over to her own bedroom. She lay in bed but didn't pull down the covers. She didn't want to sleep in her bed until Jordan came home. She moved her pillow under her head, curled up, and lay on top of the blankets until morning.

-Megaforce-

"Come on... please. Please! No..."

Gia tossed the sticks through the woods when, for the umpteenth time, the fire she had been trying to start died out. She had been unsuccessful for hours and her frustration had reached a peak. Now that it was dark, she knew her odds of making it through the night had dropped considerably because she didn't have a fire.

Her odds of making it at all were quite slim. She was lost, hurt, and so far from any city it was unlikely help would ever come. She curled up, hugging herself for warmth and tugging on the fitted sheets to cover herself up.

"I should have just let him do it," she whispered to herself. "What good has fighting it ever done me? He'd do it, no fuss, and then kill me. I'd be out of my misery already. Instead, I've got to die out here."

Gia looked around the dark, curious about what was out there. "What'll kill me first?" she asked. "A lack of shelter's never good. Dead in hours. No water? Won't be too long. Food? Or, dear lord, don't let me die of hunger. Or maybe... maybe I will. Maybe, a hungry bear will find me. Eat me. As long as he makes it a quick, painless death, he can do it."

Gia then started to laugh, "Owns a tiger, killed by bear. Well, isn't life just funny like that? Hey, did you hear about the chick who owned the tiger? She was eaten by a bear! How weird is that? Fucking asking for it, that's what they'll say."

She rubbed her forehead and felt the dry blood rub off onto her hand.

"Can't even fucking bleed to death," she muttered to herself. "What a shitty way to die, but at least it'd be over by now."

"So that's it?" Gia heard a voice say behind her and jumped. "After all this, you want to die?"

She turned around and saw her father and Ms. Chesterfield. She rubbed her eyes, but they were still there.

"Guess I'll go sooner than I thought," she muttered to herself, then turned her back on the ghosts. "Hallucinations. Would that be the blood loss or the dehydration talking? You know, fighting for your life really works up a sweat."

Her father and Ms. Chesterfield sat next to her in the dirt.

"There's a creek just about an hour's walk from here," her father told her. "You can make it there. We'll guide you. Drink the water, wash yourself up. It'll help."

"And make myself more lost," Gia muttered and rolled her eyes.

"Gia, we aren't ghosts," Ms. Chesterfield assured her, but she shook her head.

"You're dead. So you're either ghosts or this is the beating talking. How long can you survive in the woods with a concussion? If I let myself fall asleep, would I go peacefully?"

"Don't sleep, yet, Gia. You need to find some water soon," her father told her. "Get up. We'll guide you."

"What the hell," Gia shrugged. "I'm dead if I don't. Then again, I might already be dead."

She used a nearby branch and pulled herself up to her feet. Then, she tied the fitted sheet around herself to keep her body covered while following what she was sure had to be figments of her imagination. She stumbled through the woods, unsure of where she was going for what felt like a long time when suddenly she heard water running. She felt her spirits lift a bit and followed her ears to the source. When her feet were wet, she let herself fall down. There was about an inch of water flowing through this part of the forest. Gia used the water to clean herself off, then scooped some in her hands. Before drinking it, though, she stopped herself.

"What's wrong?" Ms. Chesterfield asked her while she and her father looked down with concern. "It's safe. Drink it."

"And then what? Build a shelter and live out here alone for the rest of my life?"

"Drink it," her father insisted. Gia rolled her eyes. Surely a sip wouldn't make her live much longer than not drinking at all. To satisfy her ghosts, she drank what was in her hands, then walked back to dry grounds and lay down. As she put her head on the ground, though, she felt something hard. She reached her hand out to feel and found herself holding up a stick.

"There's another one," Ms. Chesterfield told her. "Rub them together. You'll start a fire."

"I tried this," Gia whispered.

"You need fire..."

"I need to die in peace!" she shouted.

"It's not your time. You die now, you're going to upset everything," her father told her. "What about your daughter? Your friends. They still need you."

"If it's not my time, then it doesn't matter what I do..."

"Yes it does," her father said. "You have everything you need to survive the night right here, Gia. You'll be safe here until you've got enough strength to make it home."

"This is too convenient," Gia rolled her eyes. "Right by the creek, I can make fire, have a shelter and find food?"

"Do it," her father growled and Gia sighed. Just to shut him up and stop the glares from Ms. Chesterfield she began rubbing the sticks together. She got a little coaching from her ghosts, and then it wasn't long before she saw a small flame light up. She grabbed some leaves and twigs and nurtured the flame until it grew.

"On my god," she whispered and grabbed bigger branches to help keep her fire burning longer. "It... it worked!"

As she looked up to thank her ghosts, she noticed they were gone. But they had been standing underneath a little shelter build of stone. It seemed all too convenient, yet Gia wasn't about to question her luck. She moved herself around the fire so she could sit under the large stone.

"Beats being mauled by a bear," she muttered to herself and stayed close to the fire all night.


	6. Frustrations and Delusions

Jake ignored his phone as it rang. It was just his soccer team, wondering why he hadn't come to the last couple of games or practices. He didn't feel like explaining himself to them, nor was he willing to head back to work. He was all Ciara had right now. He couldn't leave her.

But he wasn't just ignoring calls from his soccer team. He was ignoring Troy and Noah, Orion and Rebecca, and especially Emma and Jordan. He ignored his parents and both his mothers in-law. He only answered his phone for unknown numbers, hoping it would be Gia calling.

But the more time passed the less hopeful he was that his fiancée had found a way to safety.

As he was making lunch for himself and Ciara, he heard a knock on the back door. Looking through the glass, he saw Joe standing at the door holding up a toy. He had learned to do this shortly before Jake had kicked Emma out of his house, and for some reason continued to do so despite Jake's many rejections.

"She's not coming out, kid," he told his nephew. He knew if Joe was in the backyard, Emma would be there too. He didn't feel like talking to her, or anyone, about what happened.

Jake went back to cooking, knowing if he ignored Joe long enough, he would walk off. But Tiger walked up to the glass and started to play with the little boy. When Jake heard giggles, he turned around to see the cat by the door and frowned.

"No, Tiger! Bad! Leave him alone! He'll go away!"

Tiger didn't seem to want to move. Jake grabbed her tail and pulled – not so much so it hurt. He had learned his lesson the first time when she turned around and bite his arm. The stitches were still in his arm. But Tiger didn't like when he did it even softly, so was discouraged from disobeying him again. She lowered her head and backed away from the door. She rested on her bed in the living room. Jake sighed. Now the cat was upset and Joe was outside crying.

Jake ignored it, until there was another knock on the glass. He sighed, turned, and saw Emma with her arms crossed.

"Seriously, Jake. He just wants to play with Ciara and Tiger. It's been a week!"

Jake rolled his eyes and closed the blinds, shutting Emma out. He turned off the stove, poured his and Ciara's meals into bowls and then offered his daughter her lunch. Ciara didn't look to her food. Instead her eyes were focused on the back door, where she had seen her cousin and aunt.

"Forget them," Jake told her. "Lunch time, Ciara. Yum yum!"

Jake took a spoonful and brought it over to Ciara's mouth. She took a bite, made a face, then spit it out. Jake sighed.

"My cooking isn't as good as mommy's. We've been over this. But it's still edible. Eat it."

He brought another spoonful over. Ciara turned her head away and shouted. Jake sighed. His daughter hadn't been eating well since Gia's disappearance and it was starting to worry him, especially since he noticed she didn't seem to feel as heavy when he carried her.

"You're not getting out of his chair until you eat," he told her and left her with her bowl while he ate his own meal. When he was done, he turned to his daughter and saw she hadn't touched her food. He did the dishes, still she wouldn't eat. He fed Tiger. Still Ciara wouldn't eat. When Tiger's meal was done, Ciara still hadn't taken a bite and opted to nap in her high chair instead.

"You are your mother's daughter," Jake sighed and picked her up to take her to her crib, worried again because of how light she felt. After putting her to bed, he made it way downstairs. Just as he finished going down the steps, the doorbell rang. He knew what who it was. He could head Joe sobbing on the other side.

"Go away, Emma."

"You're mad at me. Joe's got nothing to do with this," Emma called through the door. "I'm going to visit Jordan. Can you please watch him?"

"Ciara's down for her nap."

"He can play with Tiger."

"She's in time out," Jake said and looked to the cat. "For disobeying me earlier."

"Jake, this isn't what Gia would want..."

"You can shut up!" Jake shouted. "You're the one who gave up on her, remember?"

"I..."

"Go fuck yourself," Jake moved away from the door and sat down on the couch. He turned on the TV. Before he could find something to watch, the front door opened. Emma stormed in with Joe on her hip.

"I did not give up on her," she growled to Jake. He pointed to the door.

"Get out!"

"I'm the one who sent the Silver Guardians out in the city," Emma said. "I'm the one who contacted all the nearby hospitals to see if Gia had turned up while you've been in here, throwing yourself a pity party!"

"I've been out looking," Jake frowned. "For three days, I busted my ass searching this city, going door to door in David' neighbourhood asking the people there if they've seen her. You let other people do your work so you could make smoochie faces with your fiancé."

"Jordans' in ICU! Emma shouted.

"Yeah, safe and sound in a bed with people checking up on him all day!" Jake screamed back. "Meanwhile, you've left Gia to rot somewhere out there alone because you were too afraid of finding a dead body! You gave up on her!"

"I didn't... ugh," Emma grumbled and realized this fight, like every one before, would only go in circles until she gave up. "Fine, whatever, I'm a bad friend. Can you please watch Joe, though. He really misses his cousin and..."

"I miss my fiancée," Jake said and sat back down on the couch. "Looks like neither of us will be happy."

"You're so pathetic," Emma rolled her eyes. She started to climb the stairs. Jake got up and followed her.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"The kids aren't going to suffer," Emma insisted as she walked into Ciara's room and woke the young girl up from her nap. Jake shook his head.

"I just got her down."

"I'll take her with me. I'll drop them off with my mothers. She and Joe can play," Emma lifted Ciara from her crib then suddenly frowned. She put the little girl back down, then set Joe next to her. Joe seemed happy to be with his cousin again, but Emma wasn't. She picked up Ciara, this time with two hands.

"Jake..." Emma growled as she turned to the former green Ranger. Jake sighed.

"I know. She won't eat much, okay. I'm handling it."

"Handling it how?" Emma asked, pulling Ciara in closer to her chest. "She feels like she's losing weight. She's supposed to be getting bigger."

"I know. And I'm handling it."

"What does that mean, handling it?" Emma frowned. "If she's not eating, you take her to the doctor."

"She's being stubborn," Jake rolled his eyes. "She'll learn she can't hold out."

"She's not being stubborn, she's a baby!" Emma picked Joe up and hurried out of the room. Jake rolled his eyes and followed her down the stairs.

"I'm making her meals, all her favourites," Jake insisted, but Emma wouldn't hear it. She set Joe on his feet and held his hand after taking Jake's car keys. She walked out to the driveway with her son and Ciara and opened Jake's car.

"Where are you going?" he asked her. Emma removed Ciara's car seat and took it over to her car. Joe followed his mother, also curious about what was happening. Emma strapped Ciara in the car seat and had to adjust the buckles to fit, then she picked up her son and put him in his seat.

"I'm taking her to my mothers."

"Emma, I'm looking after her," Jake insisted, then felt Tiger race past him and jump into Emma's car. She closed the door and turned to her teammate.

"And I'm sure you're doing your best..."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm taking her to my mothers'. You can either join me, or stay home and sulk about it."

"You can't just take my kid like that," Jake frowned.

"There's a huge difference between can't and shouldn't," Emma told him. "I'll bring her back later."

-Megaforce-

"Gia... Gia, come on. Wake up."

Gia let out a groan of protest before rolling over and opening her eyes. She sighed, seeing the trees, the creek and the dying fire before her.

"Not a dream," she muttered and sat up. She checked up on the fire first, poking it to bring it back to life before tossing on a few more sticks she had collected the night before. Then she got to her feet and walked over to the creek. She sat down in the water, took a few sips, then looked around again.

"You should think about leaving," Ms. Chesterfield told her. Gia saw her former teacher and her father standing in the middle of the creek, looking over her, and she sighed.

"You again?"

"Your supplies are running low. You should begin your trip back."

"I have no idea which way is back," Gia shook her head. "And you leading me to water didn't help."

"You've rested, you've eaten, you've got a bit more energy. Today's the day, Gia. Today, you need to make it back."

"Alright, I got lucky," Gia rolled her eyes. "My delusion somehow managed to get me to water, but if you think I'm going to let you lead me again when I've got everything I need to live here, then you're..."

"We're not your delusions, Gia..."

"I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm alone in the freaking woods!" Gia shouted, then pointed to her cuts and bruises. "I nearly bled out in a dumpster! I'm not even sure I'm actually still alive!"

Gia lay down in the creek and sighed, contemplating whether or not to listen to the voices in her head. When she decided to refuse, she sat up to tell her father and Ms. Chesterfield, but they were gone.

"I'm going mad," she muttered and got out of the water to dry off before she got too wet. The sun was shining through the trees and the leaves. If she sat under it, she would be dry before nightfall when the temperature was sure to drop.

She sat under the sun, nurturing her fire and eating what was left of her stash of berries until the sun went down. She yawned as she got up to grab another thick branch from her collection but noticed she was all out. She shook her head. She could have sworn there was still a small pile left when she last reached for one.

"Delusional," she muttered to herself and started a quick search for thick logs. There was still a bit of sunlight left and she would use that to stock up again on the essentials. But as she looked around she found no berries, no logs and she was getting further and further away from water. She started to panic. She had only minutes before the sun was gone, taking it's light with it and she didn't remember how to get back.

"Dad? Ms. Chesterfield?" she called out, but to no avail. The ghosts weren't coming back. Even her madness was failing her. Her stomach rumbled and a cold wind blew, chilling her suddenly. Gia felt herself growing weak.

"Help!" she shouted through the trees. It wasn't the first time she had called for help, and hopefully wouldn't be her last. When the light was completely gone, she hugged herself and sat in the dirt, praying the night wouldn't be cruel to her without her fire or shelter to protect her.

Meanwhile, Gia's fire was still burning. It wasn't bright, but it was going, giving off smoke and providing just a little bit of light. Enough for a bird to spot from above and come down the land. The colourful creature had a look around what appeared to be a makeshift camp before she approached the fire.

Without a doubt, someone had been here. The bird cawed, the flapped its wings and took to the skies.

In the distance, Gia heard the caw and jumped. She looked around, though without reason. She couldn't see anything around her now that it was dark and was vulnerable from all sides. If this was something coming for her, either to hurt or help, she wouldn't know it until it was standing just in front of her – or worse, eating her alive.

She pulled her knees into her chest and buried her head under her arms. She didn't know why she was insistent on protecting herself. She had already surrendered herself to the idea of dying alone in the woods.

Then she heard the caw again and it startled her so much, she let out a little scream. Maybe that would chase the predator away. Maybe it would draw it near. There were pros and cons to both, but Gia couldn't decide which was better.

Suddenly, she heard a twig snap. She looked up and saw eyes reflecting the soft moonlight. They were staring right at her. Gia screamed again and started to crawl backwards. The creature followed, getting closer and closer. Gia finally made out that it was only a bird and calmed a bit. It was big. It could probably eat her, but would likely wait until she was dead before it began its feast.

Then, then bird got even closer. Gia couldn't see much in the dark, but the soft moonlight did allow her to see anything once it was close enough to her face. As the bird continued to approach her, she noticed its feathers reflecting some light, and they seemed to be various colours, but mostly pink. Gia knew of only one bird that looked like that.

"Phoenix?"

The bird chirped and jumped up to perch on Gia's knees before looking down at her. Gia reached a hand out fearfully. Phoenix didn't snap or dive in to fight, but instead let Gia touch her head, then beak, then wings.

When Gia felt the bird, she knew she wasn't just imagining it. Of course, there was still a chance her madness had escalated, but she was willing to take her chances. After all, at least she didn't think she was completely alone anymore. She had a pet.

"It is you," she smiled to the bird. Phoenix nodded and jumped off Gia's knees. Gia sat up and watch the bird walk away from her.

"Wait! Don't leave!" she called and the bird stopped walking. She turned around and then suddenly grew. When Phoenix was her full size, she gave Gia another little chirp and lowered herself, inviting the yellow Ranger to climb on her back. Gia was hesitant, and then realized she had nothing to lose. If this was just a hallucination, she wouldn't actually start flying. But if the bird was real, this would be her only way to get home.

"Please be real," she muttered and slowly got to her feet. "Please be real," she said as she reached out to touch the bird. "Please be real," she repeated once she felt the bird, then started to climb on her back. She wrapped her arms around Phoenix's neck and held on tightly.

"Please be real," she shouted when the bird flapped her wings and suddenly took off.


	7. A Food Fight

"Choo, choo," Claire smiled as she inched the spoon closer and closer to Ciara's mouth. At first, the little girl seemed excited, but just before the food arrived, she quickly and suddenly turned her head to the side, refusing to eat.

"A train, seriously?" Vanessa frowned as she watched her wife's attempt to feed the little girl. "Of course she won't eat the train. She knows what happened to her grandmother on a train."

"She's already rejected the plane, the boat and the car," Claire sighed. "You try it."

Vanessa nodded her head and switched places with her wife. She took a little spoonful and held it up.

"Look, Ciara. Look what Gran's got! A big spoonful of num num! Open... seriously?"

Vanessa sighed, put the spoon back in the bowl and then shook her head. "This is impossible."

"It's got to have been going on a while," Emma suggested and lifted Ciara from the high chair. "She definitely feels lighter than I remember."

"Me do it," Ryan suggested. Emma and the mothers weren't sure she would be able to help, but figured it was worth a shot. Emma sat Ciara down on her lap while Ryan climbed up onto a chair. She took Ciara's spoon. "Eat!"

Ciara looked to her cousin curiously. Ryan held the spoon close to her mouth. "Eat, Cece. Open mouth like this!"

Ryan opened her mouth wide to show Ciara how to do it. Ciara mimicked her and Ryan quickly put the spoon in and left it there when Ciara closed her mouth. Seeing she had been deceived, Ciara started to cry out, which startled Ryan.

"Oh no," Ryan pulled the spoon out of her mouth. "Sorry. Sorry!"

"It's okay, Ryan," Claire lifted her off the chair and set her on the floor. "You didn't do anything wrong. Why don't you take Joe and go play?"

"Okay," Ryan said and took Joe's hand. Before she left, though, she looked back at Ciara. "Feel better, kay?"

"It's got to be because she misses Gia," Emma said as she soothed the little girl. "She once cried by the door for half an hour after Gia dropped her off. She knows when she's gone."

"All kids know," Vanessa nodded and took her granddaughter. "For a while, Gia threw huge tantrums when Joe went to work."

"Have you tried feeding her with the TV on?" Claire asked. "It's what I used to do when you wouldn't eat. Kept you so distracted, you didn't care we were feeding you."

"Worth a shot, right?" Emma said and turned on the little TV in the kitchen. Fortunately, it was already on the kid's station thanks to Ryan, so Ciara was instantly distracted, but not for long. As a song came on, Ciara glanced around the room, then started to cry. Vanessa, Claire and Emma didn't know what to do. Fortunately, Tiger did. She jumped up, placed her two front paws on the kitchen table and then started to do a little dance. Ciara's cries softened when she saw the cat moving to the music and she started to kick her legs and wave her arms.

"Now I've seen everything," Claire muttered as she watched the baby and the cat dance to the kid's music. When it was over, Ciara clapped her hands. She was happy again, but when Emma tried to give her another bite to eat, she refused it.

"I'll do what worked with Gia when she was stubborn," Vanessa said and picked up Ciara's bowl. "Mmm, look Ciara, Gran is eating all your yummy peas. Yum, yum, yum."

Ciara didn't seemed bothered her food had been taken from her. She stared at her grandmother, as if challenging her to actually eat the baby food. Vanessa knew to step it up, and put the spoon in her mouth.

"Yuck!" she cried and spit it out. "That's gross."

Ciara laughed. Vanessa rolled her eyes.

"Glad you find that funny," she grabbed a new spoon and offered it to Ciara. "Okay, now that you saw Gran eating it..."

"And spitting it out," Claire shook her head. "If you think it's gross, she won't eat it. Watch, this is how you do it."

Claire took a spoonful and bragged about how she was eating Ciara's food until she actually ate a bite. Just like Vanessa, she spit out the spoon quickly.

"There's a reason we stop eating these," she muttered. "How do you enjoy this?"

"Come on, Ciara," Emma begged, taking her niece in her arms. "You've got to be hungry. You've got to want to eat. Candy? I'll give you anything you want as long as you eat it!"

Ciara stared blankly at her aunt, and then started to fuss. Tiger knew to get her blanket. This was how she cried when she was getting tired. When the cat brought Ciara's blanket over, Emma and the mothers knew they had lost.

"I can take her to the doctor's tomorrow if she still hasn't eaten much," Vanessa sighed. "She really shouldn't be so fussy."

"So you think she's lighter too?" Emma asked. Vanessa shrugged.

"Maybe a little. But you are used to carrying Joe around, and he's pretty big now. She had a couple bites here. She's obviously eating something."

"Just... not much," Claire said. Vanessa took her granddaughter and carried her upstairs to nap. Emma sighed and laid her head on the table.

"I hope we hear something about Gia soon," she said. Her mother rubbed her back.

"I'm sure we'll hear something."

"I don't care if it's good or bad news. At this point, I just want to know," Emma whispered. "I want to move on."

"Go see Jordan. Maybe he'll have a better memory of what happened?" Claire suggested. "It could get you closer to..."

"Mentioning Gia's name gets him worked up," Emma shook her head. "He thinks about her constantly, wondering if he could have done something to help her. It's tearing him up. If he remembered something..."

"Just, go see him," Claire said. "We'll look after the kids."


	8. A Good Friend

"It wasn't your time."

Gia winced and shook her head. He was right. She knew he was right. She had a lot to live for. She had to get married still and a city to protect. She had a partner to check up on; last she saw of him, he wasn't doing well. She had a Tiger to feed and care for, and a daughter to raise. She couldn't give up. It was never the plan. But she hadn't seen an out. At the time surviving just seemed like wishful thinking. She thought, for sure, the elements would prove her wrong.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking to her father and Ms. Chesterfield with a little, but sincere, smile. "You pulled me through."

"I'm always watching, sweetheart," Joe took his daughter's hand, kissed it softly, and then disappeared. Gia felt his touch for the first time and knew it was real. She hadn't been delusional. At least, not entirely. He really had been out there with her, protecting her, like a father should.

Ms. Chesterfield walked up to the foot of the bed. She smiled, "So, Ciara, huh?"

"You heard?"

"I like keeping tabs on my most promising students," Ms. Chesterfield nodded. "Though, and I hate that I've waited until now to say it. You were more than just a student to me, Miss Moran."

"You were more than just a teacher," Gia smiled back. "You had to be. No one else reached out to me the way you did. I owe this life to you. I guess that makes it twice, now, you've saved me. Thank you, Ciara."

Ms. Chesterfield smiled as she squeezed Gia's leg, then disappeared. Gia was happy for a moment, until the room started to blur. Everything faded to dark, then bright again. Gia was back in the hospital, staring at the spot her father and teacher had stood just seconds ago. Only, in their place, was Jordan.

"I was worried sick," he said as he made his way closer very gingerly. He was sporting a hospital gown, which was Gia's first indication that he was still a patient. "I thought Emma was just... Emma, you know. That she was keeping her hopes up."

"My dad?" Gia frowned and looked around the room. "And Ms. Chesterfield... did you..."

"Huh?"

"They were right here," Gia said. "Did you... you saw them, right?"

"No."

"So you just got in?"

"I've been here an hour. Nothing's on TV and the food here is pretty bland. I guess that's got more to do with my stomach than the cooking, but still, it's pretty boring in my room. I thought I'd keep you company."

"So you saw them?"

"No one's been here," Jordan shook his head. "Well, Jake and Emma, a bunch of times. Your mothers, of course. Ciara's been in and out a couple of times. But she didn't really understand that you were the kind of asleep that couldn't be woken up."

"So how long was I out?"

"A couple of days," Jordan shrugged. "Jake said Phoenix brought you in. Emma said the bird found you near a camp out in the woods. Is it true? Did you live in the wild by yourself, like this, for a week?"

"I..."

"Is it because of what happened? Because David... Gia, I'm so sorry. I tried, I swear, I'd have taken a third jab to the chest if it meant stopping it, I..."

"I got away from him," Gia whispered. Jordan frowned.

"Huh?"

"You went down, so I fought," Gia said. "I fought him off. He didn't get me."

"He didn't?"

"I mean, he beat me," Gia gestured to the wounds, which were either dressed or healed up, depending on the severity. "Got me in the trunk. Took me home. His home, not mine."

"You don't have to talk to me about this," Jordan shook his head. "The guys are on the case. We're on leave until we're better, however long that takes. So if you don't want to talk to me..."

"He played with me," Gia said. "I was half awake. He didn't think I knew what was going on, so he didn't... do it. He wanted me to know it was happening. When I woke up again, completely, he tried to get his way and... I didn't let him. I... I broke his nose."

"I know," Jordan nodded. "He brought himself to the hospital the day you disappeared, complaining you assaulted him. He had a concussion, too."

"I found my opening, and I took it," Gia said. "I grabbed his head, smashed it up against the wall. He was pissed. But there was blood. So much blood."

Gia looked up at Jordan, "He's like Cliff... when he loses. He doesn't like it. So he had to win. After that, he fought, hard. I tried fighting back but... I couldn't do it. He was in a blind rage and... there's no reasoning with that. There's no stopping that. I tried. I fought like a bitch to get him under control. To beat him. But I couldn't."

"Gia..."

"I'm pressing charges," Gia whispered to Jordan and looked him right in the eyes. "Aggravated assault with the intent to murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault. I want to get him with everything possible. We've got him, right?"

"He's in custody. Awaiting trial," Jordan nodded. "Coming to the hospital was his mistake."

"It was my win," Gia said. "I broke his nose. I brought him in."

"Sure, you can take credit," Jordan chuckled. "So... does this mean you're... okay?"

"He went mad," Gia said. "There was no stopping that. There was nothing I could do. Blaming myself for it... that would just be stupid, right?"

"Extremely," Jordan nodded. Gia smiled.

"So we make sure he never does this again. Now, are you sure you didn't see my father and Ms. Chesterfield?"

"Maybe we will have the psychologist come by," Jordan rolled his eyes playfully then kissed Gia's forehead. "I'm going to head back to my room before they realize I'm not just in the bathroom. Jake and Emma said they'd only be gone a little while, so you can expect them by soon. They'll be glad to see you."

-Megaforce-

"Coach, my fiancée's in the... No, I get this is an important game. I get this is the reason you recruited me, but this is a personal emergency and..."

Jake groaned as his coach ranted on. It made him thankful that at one time, he had a coach that understood his personal issues. He had never realized how lucky he had been to have a former Ranger looking out for him personally and professionally. It seemed the higher he got in his career, the more the people above him expected from him. It was less about the love of the game and more about the money. Normally, Jake didn't mind. He still got to play, which was all he wanted, but at times like this, where he could really use a break, he wished it was less about the money.

"Coach, my fiancée was kidnapped, raped, and stranded in the... Yes, she's stable, but... Coach, I can't just leave!"

Suddenly the phone was taken from his hand. Jake turned around and saw Emma had taken over for him.

"Listen here. My fiancé and my best friend are both lying in hospital beds right now. He's got stab wounds in his chest, she's survived a horrible trauma. Both need their families. You give my brother in-law the time off he needs, or I swear to the soccer gods you believe in, I'm going to come down to that field myself and stab you in the balls. And I'm not talking soccer."

Emma hung up the phone and tossed it over to Jake, smirking confidently. Jake's eyes were nearly popping out of his head.

"Are you freaking crazy?"

"Jordan just left me a message. He says Gia's up. She's seeing dead people, but she seems to be in good spirits. Are you really worried about what your coach thinks of you right now?"

"You know I have to go back eventually?"

"And if he gives you a hard time, I'll kick his balls. And I'm not..."

"Talking soccer," Jake nodded. Emma smiled and turned back to go into the hospital, but after taking a few steps she realized Jake wasn't following her.

She sighed, "Fear or hospitals playing up or...?"

"I... I'm sorry," Jake whispered. Emma moved in closer, cupping her ear.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that."

"Emma..."

"No, I'm serious," Emma said. "I just got back from trying to feed Joe and Ciara together. She still won't eat, but really seemed to like screaming, so Joe screamed too and... Just, say it again."

"I'm sorry," Jake said, this time a little louder to be sure he wouldn't need to say it again. Emma shrugged.

"No sweat."

"You're... not going to ask why?"

"Okay, why are you sorry?"

"I..." Jake looked to the ground. Emma sighed.

"I don't have time to play games. Gia's up, probably just for a short while, and I want to talk to her. Now move your butt or..."

"I accused you of giving up. You're probably the only person who's never given up on Gia. No matter how stubborn she gets."

"If this is about not letting Ciara and Joe play outside, I don't think they remember it. Short attention spans and all..."

"This is about us," Jake shook his head. "About... kicking you out because you suggested she might be dead. About you delegating her search to the police and me thinking that meant you didn't care anymore. Meanwhile, this whole time, you had Phoenix out there looking and... you probably saved her life."

"Yeah, it's what Gia and I do for each other, now can I..."

"I'm sorry for what I accused you of," Jake said. Emma sighed loudly, turned around and looked to the green Ranger.

"Jake, I don't care about that. I don't care what you thought of me, how many bad things you wished on me this last week or whatever. I did what I thought was best for getting Gia home, dead or alive, and what I thought was best for my family. It just happened to work out for the best. Proving you wrong just... happened."

"Still, I'm sorry. And I'll make up for it. You probably just got me fired, but with the time off, I can watch Joe more often so you and Jordan can have some time to yourselves..."

"Jake, I just want to see my best friend's okay. Being right and sex are the furthest thing from my mind right now. Can we just put this all behind us?"

"Sure," Jake nodded his head and was about to follow Emma inside again when he stopped. Emma groaned.

"Seriously..."

"Thanks," Jake said. "For taking Ciara. Has she eaten?"

"Not much, but maybe that'll change now that Gia's home," Emma said. "Can we just..."

"You really stepped up as her godmother today..."

"That's why you named me godmother. Can we..."

"It means a lot, knowing Ciara's got someone looking after her when we..."

"Blah, blah, blah, I did good, you owe me, you're sorry, whatever. Can we just get inside now? Gia's going to be really happy to see us. Right now, that's all I want."

Emma turned to walk inside, but Jake caught her arm.

"I'm going to kick your soccer balls..."

"She's lucky. We're lucky to have you."

"I know," Emma nodded, smiled and finally made it into the hospital, with Jake right on her heels.


	9. A Recovery Time

Gia woke in a cold sweat, panting heavily from her nightmare. She rolled over in bed, seeing Jake still sleeping soundly and told herself none of it was real. Then she sighed. It had been real. It just wasn't as recent as her mind made it out to be.

She thought of waking her fiancée to talk to him about it. Jake had been by her side since the hospital and she knew he would do anything to help her settle down now. But she didn't want to disturb him again. Every night since she had been allowed home she had woken him because of her night terrors. Jake was tired, grumpy, and still, he did everything he could for her. Just once, she wanted to let him sleep.

So she pulled herself out of bed and walked across the hall to her daughter's bedroom. She opened the door, peeking inside carefully. Tiger lay at the foot of the crib, watching for any midnight intruders. Gia knelt down and gently stroked the top of the cat's head.

"You're such a good big sister," she whispered without waking the cat. Then Gia stood up again and looked down into the crib where her daughter slept peacefully. Very gently, she scooped Ciara up in her arms and carried her out of the room. Gia walked downstairs and sat out on the back porch.

She hadn't noticed a difference in her daughter's weight. Likely because she had lost a lot of her strength trying to survive her week in the woods, but Jake and Emma and her mothers told her of Ciara's refusal to eat. Gia had been worried initially, sparking a fight between her and Jake, but when she got home and started to feed her daughter, Ciara would eat normally. Gia chalked it up to a change in routine. She was always around to feed her daughter. Her sudden absence had to have stressed the little girl out. Just to be safe, Gia and Jake had taken Ciara into the doctor, who assured them she was still a healthy weight for her age.

"It's amazing, huh?" Gia heard someone say and jumped, covering her daughter with her own body before she realized it was only Jordan. She sighed, then punched him very lightly in the arm.

"You freaked me out," she whispered. Jordan nodded, had her scoot over on the bench and sat down.

"Yeah, that was pretty fun," Jordan chuckled. "Though not my intention. Why are you up so late?"

"Probably the same reason you are."

"Itchy wounds?" Jordan asked, scratching his chest. Gia grabbed his wrist to stop him and shook her head.

"Nightmares."

"I got them too," he nodded, then looked down at Ciara. "I was saying, it's amazing how good they make you feel at times like these. I know, the fact that Joe's as happy as ever to have me home makes this all a little less..."

"Scary?"

"Painful," Jordan turned his head. "You're still scared?"

"I'm scared all the time," Gia sighed. "Scared David's going to come back. Scared when I open my eyes, I'll be back in the woods again. I'm scared another one of Cliff's friends will come after me and that this... it'll never end."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that," Jordan said and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. Gia turned to him with a deep frown.

"Unless you got in on it, you have nothing to apologize for."

"I went down pretty fast," Jordan shrugged. "Here you are, depending on me to protect you as your partner, and the first time someone comes at you, I kind of just..."

"You were stabbed. I'm surprised you got up the first time," Gia said. "Jordan, you're not at fault here. Don't think for a second..."

"I rushed in," Jordan said. "We were trained not to escalate situations. Just like Rangers. Yet as soon as you told me who he was, I charged. I practically ran right into his knife."

"You didn't."

"Yeah, but it didn't take long. I should have stayed back, stayed with you, but..."

"You failed, but you did what you thought was best at the time. Besides, if anyone deserves to be humiliated here, it's me. I beat Vrak and Robo-Cliff and David's too much for me?"

Jordan shook his head and lightly touched Gia's shoulder.

"You didn't beat Vrak or Cliff the first time. Or even the second or third or..."

"Are you trying to make me feel better?"

"David trapped us, you, in a corner. You were caught off guard and... Sometimes that'll all you need."

"Or don't."

"Exactly," Jordan chuckled. "What's important is you found your way home. You're safe, now."

Gia smiled softly as she looked down at her daughter. She knew Jordan was right. David's appearance at the scene had thrown her off her game. She had recognized his face instantly and felt her body freeze up. If it had been anyone else, or if she had been able to anticipate his arrival, nothing would have worked out like it did.

"He took advantage."

"And that's not your fault," Jordan said, squeezing his partner comfortingly. After, he leaned back into the bench, looking out at the backyard that was slowly starting to fill with light as the sun rose. "So," he said. "How long before you think we'll be back to work?"

"Wes and Eric want me cleared by a psychologist, and they say Serena doesn't have the training to qualify so... I guess once I work up the courage to talk to a stranger about what happened."

"Serena might not have a degree in psychology, but she's an expert on... this," Jordan smirked and gestured to the space around Gia's held. The yellow Ranger punched him lightly, but ultimately agreed.

"I tried to tell them that. They said it was for health and safety. So, I think I'll just take about a month, maybe talk to Serena, and then see someone once I'm feeling a little... better."

"Sounds like a plan," Jordan nodded his head. "I'm going as soon as the doctors clear me for work. I'm itching to get back out there. Only, I might mandate everyone wear bullet proof and stab proof vests from now on. I don't know about you, but I considered myself dead. And I've got claustrophobia now."

"Maybe you and I can see the psychologist together," Gia teased, but Jordan seemed serious as he nodded.

"Actually, that might not be a bad idea."

"Huh?"

"We're Silver Guardians. We've been through something pretty scary, and it's probably going to happen again. We should at least work on coping methods for next time."

"You'd seriously go to therapy with me?"

"You wouldn't go with me?"

"I would but... can we do that?"

"We're partners. We need to be able to lean on each other. Besides, it couldn't hurt."

"What if the therapist tells me to stop calling you butthead? What if he thinks it'll undermine your authority or bruise your ego or..."

"Then we get a new doctor," Jordan shrugged casually. "One who gets us."

"Alright, we'll try it," Gia nodded.

"I thought I'd find you out here," Jake said, yawning as he stepped out of the house. "Night terrors?"

"I didn't want to wake you," Gia answered him, then gestured to Ciara. "Just thought I'd get some baby therapy in before breakfast."

"You can always talk to me, you know."

"I know," Gia said. Jake sat down on the deck and rubbed his eyes, still a little asleep. It always took him a couple of cups of coffee before he was ready for the day.

"Who wants breakfast?" Emma announced as she stepped out of her home, carrying a tray of toast, eggs, bacon, coffee and juice. Jordan chuckled at his fiancée.

"It's five in the morning."

"Yeah, but I saw you were up and looked out the window to be sure you were okay," Emma shrugged. "I saw you talking to Gia and just figured we'd start the day off right."

"Bacon's always the right way to start," Jake said, grabbing the plate for himself until Gia lightly kicked him in the back, forcing him to share. Jake grumbled as he put down the plate and took only a couple of strips.

Then he spit it out, "This isn't bacon!"

"Close enough, right?" Jordan shrugged, eating a piece. Jake shook his head in shame. Gia only sighed.

"How long have you all known me for?" Emma chuckled. "Guys, I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat or cook meat."

"Yeah, I can taste it," Jake muttered and picked up some toast. He stopped for a moment, looking to Jordan and Emma, "Wait, you're not raising Joe as a veggie, right?"

"No. It'll be his decision."

"Good. Because that kid loves it when I give him little hot-dog pieces."

"Come on, this tofu, fake meat stuff isn't that bad," Jordan said as he took a bite of the bacon. "You kind of get used to it, you know."

"Marry him," Gia whispered to Emma, who laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, so I was thinking, since we've all got the day off, what if we just went for a walk through the woods?" Emma suggested. "Take the kids down to the creek where..."

"Uh, the forest and I aren't really talking to each other right now," Gia shook her head. "I mean, we're not really upset with each other, we just need some space, you know."

"Oh, right."

"What about the park?" Jake suggested. "Joe's better on his feet and since I'm home, maybe I can start teaching him a few soccer basics."

"Ciara does love picking the grass," Gia nodded her head. "And Tiger will enjoy stretching her legs again."

"Yeah..." Jake scratched the back of his head, "I really should apologize to her for that..."

"The park sounds good. Peaceful, at least," Jordan agreed. He turned to his fiancée, "What if you packed us a picnic? We could invite the others."

"Sounds perfect..."

"Yeah, but I'll pack the lunch," Gia quickly interrupted Emma. "None of that tofu vegetarian shit."

She got up and opened the sliding door, "I'm going to get some breakfast for Ciara..."

"Can you make something for Joe too? He'll be up any minute now," Emma asked. Gia rolled her eyes but nodded her head.

"I could use a hand, then."

"Sure. You boys okay to stay outside for a bit? Listen for Joe?"

"Yeah, fine by me," Jordan said. Jake nodded.

"Actually, I'll get Tiger. Give her a little bit of a stretch before we head to the park. It might help to teach her how to handle a soccer ball too before she pops it and Joe cries."

"Good idea," Jordan chuckled. "I'll get the baby, you get the cat and the balls."

"Wait, don't wake..." Emma called to her fiancé, but it was already too late. Jordan had run into their house already and Jake was rushing up the stairs to wake the cat.

"You probably can't wait until we go back to work," Gia chuckled. Emma sighed and lowered her head.

"I have mixed feelings about that."

Gia smirked and put her arm around her best friend, hugging her tight. Emma smiled and leaned into Gia.

"Never again," she said to the yellow Ranger. "Promise?"

"On my life," Gia nodded.


End file.
